1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a press-fit connector having two connector housings which are connected to each other by moving them into a direction in which they approach each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional press-fit connector of this kind has been proposed (Japanese Patent Application No. H9-223764, which is not prior art).
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, a press-fit connector 1 comprises an upper connector housing 2 and a lower connector housing 3. A lower face 2a of the upper connector housing 2 and an upper face 3a of the lower connector housing 3 are formed as connecting faces which are opposed to each other. A plurality of longitudinally formed terminal accommodation chambers 4 are arranged side-by-side in the upper connector housing 2. The adjacent terminal accommodation chambers 4 are partitioned by partition walls 5. The lower face (connecting face) 2a of the upper connector housing 2 is formed at its rear portion with an opening 6, and rear portions of the terminal accommodation chambers 4 are exposed from the opening 6. As shown in FIG. 4, press-fit terminals 7 are respectively accommodated in the terminal accommodation chambers 4, and one ends of an electric wire W are arranged to be press-fitted to a pair of press-fit blades 7a and 7a on the rear portion of each of the press-fit terminals 7. Each of the pair of press-fit blades 7a and 7a is bent into a substantially U-shape, and tip ends 7b and 7b of opposite side plates of each of the press-fit terminals 7 project upward from the partition wall 5.
The lower face (connecting face) 2a of the upper connector housing 2 is provided at its front portion with three longitudinally extending front first locking projections 8 which are substantially trapezoidal in shape. The first locking projections 8 are formed on the center portion and left and right sides of the front portion of the lower face 2a at certain distances from one another. Front opposite ends of the lower face 2a of the upper connector housing 2 are provided with front second locking projections 9. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the front second locking projections 9 comprises a substantially semicircular introducing rib 9a which is downwardly projecting, an introducing taper projection 9b obliquely formed from a tip end of the introducing rib 9a, and a flat projection 9c projecting horizontally from a bottom face of the introducing taper projection 9b. Rear portions of opposite sides of the upper connector housing 2 are provided with prism rear locking projections 10.
A plurality of longitudinally formed terminal accommodation chambers 4 are arranged side-by-side in the lower connector housing 3. A rear portion of the lower face of the lower connector housing 3 is formed into an opening 6, and rear portions of the terminal accommodation chambers 4 are exposed from the opening 6. Press-fit terminals (not shown) are respectively accommodated in the terminal accommodation chambers 4 in the same manner as that described above.
A cover 11 is connected to a lower face of the lower connector housing 3 through a hinge (not shown) so that the opening 6 can be closed with the cover 11. A rear portion of the upper face (connecting face) 3a of the lower connector housing 3 is provided with a plurality of partition walls 12 such as to be opposed to the plurality of partition walls 5 of the upper connector housing 2. Further, electric wire position restricting projections 13 are respectively provided between adjacent partition walls 12.
The upper face (connecting face) 3a of the lower connector housing 3 is provided at its front portion with three front first locking recesses 14 which are substantially trapezoidal in shape. The first locking recesses 14 are formed on the center portion and left and right sides of the front portion of the upper face 3a at certain distances from one another. Front opposite ends of the upper face 3a of the lower connector housing 3 are provided with front second locking recesses 15. As shown in FIG. 3, each of the front second locking recesses 15 comprises a guide taper recess 15a in which the introducing rib 9a and the introducing taper projection 9b are inserted, and a horizontal recess 15b in which the flat projection 9b is inserted. Rear portions of the opposite sides of the lower connector housing 3 are provided flexibly rear-locking arms 16 which are respectively provided with rear locking holes 17.
In the above structure, the press-fit terminals 7 are accommodated in the terminal accommodation chambers 4 of the connector housings 2 and 3, the one ends of the electric wire W are connected to the press-fit terminals 7, and the opening 6 of the lower connector housing 3 is closed with the cover 11. Next, the upper connector housing 2 is set to a coupling jig (not shown) such that the lower face 2a of the upper connector housing 2 is directed upward, and the lower connector housing 3 is placed on the set upper connector housing 2 from above such that the upper face 3a of the lower connector housing 3 is directed downward. When the lower connector housing 3 is placed, the front first locking projections 8, the front second locking projections 9 and the rear locking projections 10 of the upper connector housing 2 are substantially positioned on the front first locking recesses 14, the front second locking recesses 15, and the rear locking arms 16 of the lower connector housing 3.
Next, the lower connector housing 3 is pushed downward, the opposed connecting faces of both the connecting housings 2 and 3 are moved in a direction in which they approach each other by this pushing force, and at the connected position, the front first locking projections 8 and the front second locking projections 9 enter the front first locking recesses 14 and the front second locking recesses 15 respectively, and the rear locking projections 10 are locked in the rear locking holes 17 by the rear locking arms 16 which are bent and deformed. With this operation, both the connector housings 2 and 3 are coupled.
As both the connector housings 2 and 3 are moved to the connected positions, both the partition walls 5 and 12 are moved in a direction in which they approach each other, and at the connected position, tip end faces of both the partition walls 5 and 12 are brought into substantially contact with each other. With this movement, the adjacent terminal accommodation chambers 4 are substantially completely partitioned, thereby preventing a short out accident between the adjacent press-fit terminals 7 and 7.
However, in the conventional press-fit connector 1, the positioning operation of both the connector housings 2 and 3 are started simultaneously when the locking operation is started during the connecting operation procedure. That is, the positioning operation of the front portions of both the connector housings 2 and 3 are carried out by starting the insertion operation of the front first locking projections 8 and the front second locking projections 9 into the front first locking recesses 14 and the front second locking recesses 15, respectively, and the positioning operation of the rear portions of both the connector housings 2 and 3 are carried out by starting the engaging operation of the rear locking projections 10 into the rear locking arms 16 which can be bent and deformed. Therefore, both the connector housings 2 and 3 are not positioned until they sufficiently approach each other.
For this reason, if both the connector housings 2 and 3 are moved to the connected position in a state where the lower connector housing 3 is laterally deviated from a proper position, the partition wall 12 of the lower connector housing 3 abuts against the tip ends 7a of the side plates of the press-fit terminals 7 as shown in FIG. 4, and the tip ends 7a of the side plates of the press-fit terminals 7 are folded and bent. As shown in FIG. 5, if the tip ends 7a of the side plates of the press-fit terminals 7 are bent outwardly, the tip ends 7a may adversely come into contact with the adjacent press-fit terminals 7 to cause a short.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a press-fit connector capable of preventing a short out accident between adjacent terminals at the time of connecting operation.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a press-fit connector comprising: a first connector housing; a second connector housing; locking means which is moved to a connecting position by moving opposed connecting faces of the first and second connector housing in a direction in which they approach each other, locking means starting engaging the connector housings with each other when the first and second housings move to the connecting position, and the locking means completing the engagement between both the connector housings at the connecting position, thereby locking both the first and second connector housings; a plurality of partition walls for partitioning the first connector housing into terminal accommodating chambers for accommodating terminals; other plurality of partition walls for partitioning the second connector housing into terminal accommodating chambers for accommodating terminals; and positioning means for moving move both the partitioning walls of the first and second connector housing as the first and second connector housing move to the connecting position, the positioning means roughly bringing tip end faces of both the partitioning walls into contact with each other at the connecting position, the press-fit means starting the positioning operation of the opposed connecting faces of the first and second connector housings before the terminals and the partition walls opposed thereto con to positions where they come into contact with each other when both the connector housing move to the connecting position, and if a direction in which the partition walls extend is defined as an extending direction, and the positioning means positioning both the connector housings in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction.
According to this press-fit connector, if the opposed connecting faces of both the connector housing in a direction in which they approach each other, the positioning means starts the positioning operation, and after both the connector housing have been positioned in the direction perpendicular to the extending direction, the terminals and the partitioning walls which are opposed to the terminals come to positions where they can come into contact with each other.
According to a second aspect, in the press-fit connector of the first aspect, the positioning means is provided at a substantially central position of both the connector housings in the direction perpendicular to the extending direction.
According to this press-fit connector, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, since the central position of the connector housings becomes a reference position, error in position at opposite ends of both the connector housings can be minimized.